New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Sullivan County

An Army of Hunters: On Foot and in Verse

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Stephen Crane HuntingOn November 20, 1956, the New York Times described “an army of hunters” descending upon Sullivan County, leading to traffic jams “here and there” on area roadways. The county was among the most popular hunting grounds in New York, the Times reported, and had led the state in the number of deer killed for several years.

In fact, Sullivan County has a long history as a paradise for hunters. And also for those who spin hunting yarns. For nearly two hundred years, observant writers, beginning with the poet Alfred B. Street, have chronicled the triumphs and tragedies, the successes and failures, of hunting big game in the county. [Read more…] about An Army of Hunters: On Foot and in Verse

The Great Pumpkin Flood of 1903 & Other Delaware River Floods

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Pond Eddy BridgeThe last three weeks of October, 1903 proved to be difficult ones in the Upper Delaware region, as residents attempted to clean up after a particularly devastating flood.

Following three days of heavy rains, the Delaware River crested on October 10th, 1903, destroying several bridges, wiping out the Erie Railroad’s tracks in a number of places, and damaging homes and businesses in three states. [Read more…] about The Great Pumpkin Flood of 1903 & Other Delaware River Floods

When Sullivan County Entered The Dial Telephone Age

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telephone operators at the Monticello Telephone CompanyIt was August of 1961, and what was called “the most complex project of its kind ever undertaken by New York Telephone” was just getting underway in Sullivan County, NY.

By March 21, 1965, the project would be complete, and dial telephone service — long taken for granted in most parts of the country — would finally become a reality for the majority of residents. [Read more…] about When Sullivan County Entered The Dial Telephone Age

D.W. Griffith’s Orange County ‘Magic Hour’ Discovery

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D.W. Griffith and cameraman Billy Bitzer in 1919A few people sitting on the front porch of a Barryville home on the Delaware River last weekend learned firsthand what movie makers in the region discovered more than 100 years ago. There is a light that sweeps down the river valley shortly before dusk that is pure magic.

G.W. “Billy” Bitzer, the master cameraman who accompanied influential director D.W. Griffith to Cuddebackville, in western Orange County, NY, in the early part of the last century, dubbed it magic hour, and “the light Mr. Griffith waited for.” It brought Griffith and his crew back to the area year after year before he discovered the advantages of filming in California and became known as “the man who invented Hollywood.” [Read more…] about D.W. Griffith’s Orange County ‘Magic Hour’ Discovery

The Catskills Slot Machine Racket

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Sullivan County District Attorney William Deckelman (left) and Sheriff Harry Borden (standing at right)In April of 1931, eight slot machines were seized by Troopers in raids on a number of hotels in the Catskills town of Fallsburg, including the Elm Shade, the Ambassador, and the Flagler. The machines were destroyed “in the public square” before more than 150 onlookers and the $130 found inside them was turned over to the Town’s poor fund. [Read more…] about The Catskills Slot Machine Racket

The Upper Delaware’s First Suspension Bridge

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Barryville-Shohola Suspension BridgeJohn A. Roebling was born in Prussia on June 12th, 1806. Educated as an engineer, but finding the political unrest in his home country stifling, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1831 with a small group intent on establishing a community where technology could freely advance. They settled in Western Pennsylvania, establishing the community of Saxonburg. [Read more…] about The Upper Delaware’s First Suspension Bridge

Apple Orchards Are Returning Again to Sullivan County

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seminary hillThere are still a few people who remember that Sullivan County apple producers at one time shipped apples to every state in the country except for Washington and Oregon.

Perhaps the largest apple producer in Sullivan County at the height of the industry here was Martin A. Smith of Fremont Center. [Read more…] about Apple Orchards Are Returning Again to Sullivan County

Fort Delaware Museum Reopening Under New Management

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Fort Delaware MuseumThe Delaware Company, a non-profit history education group started in 2012, is taking over management of the Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History in Narrowsburg, Sullivan County, under a public-private partnership with the county legislature.

Their first event, “Patriots and Loyalists: The Declaration of Independence in the Upper Delaware Valley” will take place on Saturday, July 10th, from noon until 3 pm. [Read more…] about Fort Delaware Museum Reopening Under New Management

The Borscht Belt in Winter: Catskills Winter Resorts

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toboggan run was at the Laurels in Sackett Lake.Although the number of Sullivan County hotels open during the winter months increased significantly beginning in the 1940s, there were attempts to market the county as a winter resort long before that. [Read more…] about The Borscht Belt in Winter: Catskills Winter Resorts